Apple Tree Sapling Prices, Years to Fruit, and High-Yield Planting Methods Explained in Detail
The apple is one of the most familiar and indispensable fruits in our daily lives. Some say that an apple a day keeps illness away, and that is indeed true, but to plant them successfully you need a few tricks. So how much does an apple sapling cost? How many years after planting does it bear fruit? How do you plant them for high yields?
How much does an apple sapling cost?
A columnar apple sapling costs about 30 yuan to 50 yuan. Prices vary from region to region and from variety to variety. For detailed prices, please consult your local farmers' market.
How many years until it bears fruit?
Generally, after planting, apples begin to bear fruit only after 2 to 3 years. During the fruit growth period, early-maturing varieties take 65 to 87 days, mid-season varieties 90 to 133 days, and late-maturing varieties 137 to 168 days. Under normal circumstances, an apple tree can live 15 to 50 years after planting.
Planting apple saplings:
1. Establishing a new orchard
Always use new rootstocks and new varieties. Recommended apple saplings have a high degree of wildness, strong soil adaptability, resistance to disease, drought and waterlogging, adapt to a wide range of temperature conditions, and have a long lifespan. To improve the quality of a newly established orchard, prepare the soil strictly and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Before planting, dig planting holes according to the required density, with a size of 0.6m x 0.6m and a depth of 0.6m, keeping subsoil and topsoil separate. Apply base fertilizer per mu (organic fertilizer) 1500kg to 2000kg. Depending on the local soil, you may apply more organic fertilizer containing fine sandy soil (you may add a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer 0.1kg per tree, potassium fertilizer 0.2km, compound fertilizer 0.2kg), mix with topsoil and backfill to 15cm from ground level, then tread firm. Make full use of land resources, with a plant-to-row spacing of 2m x 2m. You may also dig planting trenches 0.6m x 0.6m. Irrigate the holes 3 to 4 days before planting. Before planting, soak in a solution prepared with 700 times thiophanate-methyl or 500 times carbendazim for a full day and night, so that the saplings fully absorb water and are disinfected. Dip the soaked sapling roots in mud slurry prepared with rooting powder and then plant. After planting, water promptly, cover with soil and plastic film to retain moisture, and drain promptly during waterlogging to prevent the saplings from yellowing and loss of manure water.
2. Shaping and pruning of young trees
The spindle shape is mainly advocated. The spindle shape bears fruit relatively early and is a tree form currently advocated. Spindle shape: tree height 2.5 to 3. m, crown width 1.8 m, trunk height 70 cm, with 10 to 15 main branches evenly borne on the central leader, not in tiers, with main branches spaced 15 to 20 cm apart, evenly distributed around, and the opening angle of the main branches reaching 60 to 90 degrees. This tree form has a small crown and is easy to manage, flowers in the same year, bears fruit in the second year, and production can increase substantially in the third to fourth year. Pruning of young trees is mainly for shaping, generally carried out in early spring. Skirt branches below 70cm on the trunk are not retained at all; above 90cm, keep one branch every 20cm, choosing good directions; growth 80cm or longer is not pruned at all, all are laid flat and buds are notched; cut back the leader at 50 to 30cm to stimulate new shoots, and handle them the following year. The central leader is not headed back, but a ring cut is made every 20cm to promote even growth of the branches. In May to June, promptly twist shoots and pinch tips for control; on vigorous trees, make ring cuts on the trunk to promote flower bud differentiation. If the branches are too vigorous, you may apply paclobutrazol treatment to control branch growth and promote more and fuller flower buds.
3. Fruit tree pruning
Spring pruning: carried out after bud break and around the flowering period, using measures such as bud removal, branch thinning, renewal pruning, bud notching and ring stripping to complete pruning tasks. Young orchards also include shaping and pruning tasks such as branch bending.
Summer pruning: using techniques such as opening the angle, pinching tips, twisting shoots, ring stripping, thinning and cutting back, and ring cutting to moderate tree vigor, improve light exposure, and expand the crown.
Autumn pruning: through measures such as bending branches, thinning upright branches, water shoots, densely growing branches and overly dense peripheral new shoots, improve light conditions, promote flower bud differentiation, and enhance the cold resistance of the tree.
Dormant period pruning
is pruning carried out from after leaf fall in early winter to before bud break in spring. The main task is to remove useless branches such as diseased and pest-infested branches, densely growing branches and water shoots. Methods include heading back the leaders of scaffold branches, and renewal pruning overly long and overly large fruiting branch groups, auxiliary branches and weakened scaffold branch leaders. Its role is to adjust the angle and extension direction of scaffold branches, auxiliary branches and fruiting branch groups, control the ratio of flower buds to leaf buds, and balance tree vigor, so as to achieve the goal of abundant and high yields.